2015 Theme is “Heroes”

Children’s Slogan – “Every Hero Has a Story” – Artwork by Jarrett Krosoczka, author/illustrator of the popular children’s graphic novel series Lunch Lady.

Teen Slogan – “Unmask!” – Artwork by Hope Larson, illustrator of the graphic novels Mercury, and A Wrinkle in Time: The Graphic Novel, among others.

Adult Slogan – “Escape the Ordinary”

The Winners of the 2015 Teen Video Challenge to Promote the CSLP Summer Reading Program Have Been Announced!

NJ participated for the second year in the 2015 Teen Video Challenge (2015 TVC), a CSLP sponsored competition for teens to create videos that promote reading, libraries, and the 2015 CSLP teen summer reading slogan, “Unmask.” Teens across the country were invited to create a 30 to 90 second video with their unique interpretation of the 2015 teen slogan Unmask in combination with reading and libraries. Teens are encouraged, before and during the summer months, to be a part of the summer reading process by showcasing their creativity and sharing their ideas before a national audience. The winners were announced the week of April 13, 2015 during the CSLP Annual Meeting held in Newport, Rhode Island.

To view this year’s winner from New Jersey and other states’ winning videos, please visit the Teen Video Challenge on CSLP’s website.
The winning videos can be used by all teens and all public libraries to promote summer reading nationwide. New Jersey’s winning video was created by Megha Tandon, a 14-year-old teen from Bridgewater Library, a branch of the Somerset County Library System. You can also view it on YouTube.

$150 will be awarded to the creator or creative team of the winning state video and their associated public library will receive a gift certificate for $50 from CSLP and Demco/Upstart to purchase teen incentives for the summer reading program.

CSLP plans to continue the Teen Video Challenge for 2016. Please check the CSLP website in early fall for information on the 2016 Teen Video Challenge.
CSLP is a consortium of states working together, sharing ideas, expertise, and costs to produce a high-quality summer reading program for children, teens, and adults.

2016 Theme is “Fitness/Health/Wellness”

Early Literacy & Children’s Slogan – “On Your Mark, Get Set, Read”

Teen Slogan – “Get in the Game: READ”

Adult Slogan – “Exercise Your Mind – Read”

Sponsorship

New Jersey is a member of the Collaborative Summer Library Program (CSLP). All fifty states, including the District of Columbia, American Samoa and the Mariana Islands are members of CSLP. The CSLP website allows any New Jersey public library access to special features and an online order form, but you now must follow the easy registration process to access the membership area of the website. Any public library staff member is eligible to use the registration system to access this members-only area.

The New Jersey Summer Reading Program, coordinated by the New Jersey Statewide Summer Reading Committee through the NJ Library Association, with funding from the New Jersey State Library, encourages children and families to read for fun during the summer. The NJ Summer Reading Programs website maintains a directory of performers; programming ideas for children, teens and adults; information about discounts for summer reading prizes; registration information for summer reading workshops; a survey link for statistics from your program and a message board for librarians to share their ideas and suggestions pertaining to the summer reading program. It is also on Facebook.

Materials

Manual, Incentives, Clip Art, Reproducible Forms

All public libraries receive one free children’s, teen and adult manual with accompanying DVDs and an order form for summer reading materials from the Upstart Company, the contracted vendor for CSLP. Public libraries participating in the 2014 Summer Reading Program will receive a children’s banner, a children’s, teen, and adult poster and children’s and teen bookmarks for free courtesy of the NJ Summer Reading Program.

Clip art is available in color and black and white on DVDs included in the 2014 manual. Clip art is also available in the manual in black and white for photocopying. There are also reproducible forms and handouts included on the DVD.

You can also create your own supplementary materials if you prefer and adapt the program to your community’s needs by using the materials, clip art, and digital art that come with the manual and the accompanying DVD. There are rules for use of the artwork, so please respect these and general copyright laws.

Adult Summer Reading Program

The CSLP offers an adult summer reading program. The NJ Summer Reading Program does include a printed adult summer reading manual which was sent to all public libraries. You can order materials for this program directly from Upstart.

Early Literacy Summer Reading Manual and Other Downloadable Materials

The CSLP is once again offering an early literacy summer reading manual. The manual is included in the packet of manuals that was sent to all public libraries. You can also find downloadable children’s signing videos, slogans in Spanish and PSAs for the summer reading programs on the Downloads page.

Evaluation

If you participate in the summer reading program, the New Jersey Statewide Summer Reading Committee would like to have some feedback. A link to a survey will be posted on the NJ Summer Reading website at the end of summer. Be sure that you keep statistics of the number of participants, programs offered and the attendance, and number of books read during the summer reading program, preferably using the Evanced Summer Reader software, so that you will be prepared to report back. This report will be due in October of each year.

Advocating for the Summer Reading Program

Promoting Your Program

To hear and download radio public service announcements for the 2014 summer reading programs for children and teens, visit the CSLP web page, where these are posted in the spring for easy downloading. (If your community doesn’t have a local radio station, perhaps your school would play them on the morning announcements).

Also available at this site are video spots and tips about how to use these announcements to promote your library’s programs. If you have a library website, you might want to run these on your web page. Other tips for publicizing your summer reading program for maximum participation are available in this years manual.